by Sophie Stern
"Your father wants me dead, Princess." Sanguine's words were true, but they stung. How could the man who raised her do this? How could he have sent a killer after someone he didn't even know?
"Just because he doesn't understand you doesn't mean he should want to kill you," Kaira whispered. She tried not to cry. Though she had only been with the dragon a short while, she felt connected to him, bound to him somewhere.
A low groan came from Edward's direction and Kaira whipped her head around, coming back to reality.
"He needs water," she told Sanguine. "We need to get him something to drink."
"Princess," Sanguine began, but Kaira shushed him.
"We aren't going to kill him, Sanguine," she said firmly.
While the dragon wasn't used to being ordered around, he quite loved the way Kaira tried to boss him around. He thought of how Kaira would look whispering his name, his real name, as he plunged into her. He wanted to take her over and over again just to make her whisper for him. He wanted her to beg for him, to cry for him, to crave him.
Instead of arguing with the princess, Sanguine went to get a glass of water for his new and suddenly unwelcome guest. When he came back a few minutes later, Kaira was kneeling beside Edward's cage, whispering to him. A surge of jealousy burst through Sanguine to see another male so close to his love, but he fought back the urge to shift and eat him.
Knights never tasted very good, anyway.
When he got closer, he could hear what Kaira was whispering.
"Everything's going to be okay," she said. "He's a nice dragon."
"Ha!" Puffed Sanguine, thrusting the water into Kaira's waiting hands. "Nice indeed."
Edward and Kaira both turned to him, as if wondering why he suddenly had such an attitude problem. Sanguine noticed the dark circles under Edward's eyes and wondered how much the poor creature had actually slept since being locked up. Probably not much, he imagined. Then again, Edward was a knight. He was used to hard battles that came with little sleep and little reprieve.
"Please," Kaira turned and stood, placing her hands on either side of Sanguine's cheeks. "Please, Sir," she whispered, using her special name for him. "May we let him out? He can have my room. We can lock him in and he won't go anywhere. Just for now. Just to let him rest."
Sanguine looked to Edward. He thought the smelly knight looked slightly hopeful, as if possibly, maybe, Sanguine actually would let him out. Sanguine was not in the business of simply letting traitors roam free. As far as he was concerned, Edward was nothing more than a vile human, sent to dispose of him. Edward was nothing more than someone who wanted to rid the world of dragons. He was nothing more than garbage to Sanguine.
“The traitor will not go free,” Sanguine said. He turned and left the room, marching hastily away. If Kaira was supposed to go with him, she didn’t know. So instead of following after Sanguine, she went to Edward.
“Tell me, Friend,” she whispered. “Why are you here?”
Edward sighed. He couldn’t lie to Kaira. They had known each other far too long for that. Though he wanted to hide his true feelings and his true reason for being there, he knew it would be useless.
“Your father asked me to come,” he told her.
Kaira wasn’t surprised.
“To come and fetch me?” She asked. “And bring me home safely?”
“Yes.”
“And is that all?” Asked Kaira. Her voice was steady.
Edward hesitated for only a moment. He could be honest with her and tell her that King Liam wanted Sanguine dead. Edward could do that, but how would the dragon react? He knew that Sanguine would undoubtedly learn anything and everything that Edward said to Kaira. It was a certainty. What he didn’t know was if Sanguine would punish him more for lying or more for telling the unpleasant truth.
Scared as he was, he finally decided that honesty was more likely to work in his favor.
“Princess Kaira,” said Edward. “Your father sent me to rescue you, that much is true. That is not the only thing he demanded of me, though.”
Kaira waited, arms crossed over her chest, as she stared at the dirty knight.
“He requested that I slay the Great Dragon of Naga: Sanguine.”
28
Kaira hated the idea that Edward was still going to try to kill Sanguine. It would be pointless, she knew. Though she had not seen Edward fight in a very long time, she knew that he would be no match for a dragon as mighty as Sanguine. He was fierce and loyal and wonderful. Kaira knew that try as he might, Edward could not outwit the dragon.
It was simply not possible.
For him to fight Sanguine would be a certain death sentence. She wondered if the dragon would burn him to ash with one fiery breath. Maybe Sanguine preferred to get closer, to feel his prey die between his teeth. Maybe, she thought, staring at Edward, Sanguine would slice his throat with one lengthy talon.
He could do anything, she knew, but there was no chance for the poor knight.
No chance but one.
Kaira turned to go find Sanguine. She had to find him. He needed to know how she felt about him. Kaira was a brat. She knew that she was. She also knew that no matter what mistakes she had made in the past, Sanguine could help her perfect herself now. He could help her grow stronger. He could help her be braver.
Sanguine had a world of knowledge and he wanted to teach Kaira.
She knew that he did.
But she had to find him first.
She raced through the hallways, turning and twisting until she managed to find her bedroom. He was there, as she thought he might be, staring at a painting that hung on the wall.
“I always liked this painting,” he murmured as she entered the room. He had not turned or looked up to see that it was her. He just knew. He always knew.
“It’s beautiful,” Kaira agreed, staring at it. “Did you paint it?”
“No,” Sanguine told her. “But someone very close to me did. I’ve never been able to part with it.”
“I can see why you like it,” Kaira said appreciatively. The painting featured a large castle in the middle of an island. Dark ocean waves crashed against the beach in front of the castle. A single dragon flew in the sky above the castle. It was breathtaking.
She thought, for a second, that she could feel the ocean breeze on her face as she looked at the painting. She thought, just for a moment, that perhaps she could hear the whoosh of that dragon’s wings as he flew. She thought, for a little while, how nice it must be to see Sanguine, the mighty dragon, take flight.
He wasn’t just a mighty dragon, she thought, as she watched him observing his painting.
He was her dragon.
He just didn’t know it yet.
As Sanguine kept his back to her, Kaira stripped out of her dress and laid it on the bed. She knelt behind Sanguine on the floor. She placed her arms behind her back and spread her knees so that she was open to him.
Ready, willing, and open.
Kaira lowered her eyes and waited for Sanguine to turn around. When he saw her, she knew he would have to make a choice. He could leave her there, go kill Edward, and continue being a lonely dragon. Or, she thought, he could do something else. He could do something daring. He could do something that would shock everyone.
She would just have to convince him that it was the right move.
After a moment, Sanguine turned around and lifted his foot to walk toward the door, but then he saw Kaira.
And his breath stopped.
She knelt in the middle of the room. She knelt before him. She knelt to give herself to him. She was naked for him, she was ready for him, she was submitting to him.
And only to him.
“What are you doing, princess?” The lonely dragon asked.
“My Dragon King,” she whispered to him. “I offer you myself.”
“Child,” Sanguine dropped to one knee and lifted her chin with his finger. He stared deep into Kaira’s eyes, forcing her to blink to break the stare. “Yo
u do not understand what you are saying.”
“I do,” she whispered. “I do, Sanguine. I understand exactly what I am saying and still I offer it.”
He cocked his head to the side and looked at her, wondering what to say. This had never happened before. Ever. This was unheard of.
Though Sanguine had lived with women before, none had been like Kaira. There had never been a woman he let go who wanted to stay. There had never been a woman who seemed to enjoy being with him. There had never been anyone who wanted to stay once they knew his secret.
Everyone had left.
But not her.
Not the princess.
He stood before her, still naked after his last dragon shift, and stared down at her. She was beautiful to look at and fun to be around. She made him smile and laugh and she kept him busy. For the first time in a long time, Sanguine did not feel completely alone. Kaira was changing all that.
And now, here she was, offering herself to him, as his.
“You want to be my consort,” he said, as if considering the idea. He had never had a consort before and he had certainly never imagined one as attractive or as beautiful as Kaira.
“I want to be more than that,” she said. “But yes, Sir, I would love to be your consort.”
“And in return?” Asked Sanguine, raising an eyebrow. “What would you require in return?”
She took a deep breath. This would be the hard part. She was horrible at asking for permission, horrible at asking for forgiveness, and horrible for asking for anything at all. Here she was, though, offering herself to a dragon man, offering to be anything he needed, anything at all.
And he wanted to know her request.
“I want you to set Edward free.”
29
Her voice came out in a whisper. Her eyes darted back to the ground. She didn’t want to see Sanguine’s reaction to her request. She didn’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes. It was a risk. Absolutely. She knew that it was.
She also knew, though, that this was her only chance.
Sanguine let out a long, low growl, but said nothing. Kaira could feel the heat of his stare on the top of her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for him to yell, waiting for him to go crazy with anger. She wondered what he was going to say to her. She wondered what he would do to her.
“Tell me why,” Sanguine said, finally.
Kaira opened her eyes. He was giving her a chance.
She would take it.
“It’s my only chance to stay with you,” she told him quietly. “Edward can return and tell the king that he could not find me. It wouldn’t be hard. He’s quite convincing and my father would never expect a lie coming from him.”
“You think I should free a liar and a murderer?” Sanguine asked Kaira. “Should he not get what he deserves?” His voice was steady, but his eyes flashed the anger he felt inside.
“He was wrong to accept the quest from my father,” Kaira agreed. “But if you kill him, the king will send more knights, then more. They will continue to come and come until they have hunted you down and killed you.” She could not bear the thought of losing him. Not now. Not after all she had learned of him and his ways.
Not after all she had experienced with him.
Not after she had spent so much time with him.
Tears streamed down her cheeks quietly. By the time she finished speaking, she was close to sobs. She didn’t want Sanguine to see her this way. She didn’t want him to see her so weak. The dragon had been very kind to her since her arrival. She had wanted for nothing and had for everything.
But what she wanted now was to spend the rest of her life with Sanguine, having adventures and learning from him. He was the first person she had ever met who had treated her like an equal despite the fact that she was a princess, despite the fact that she was next on the throne.
“Let him go,” she whispered again. “I cannot lose you, please.” Kaira raised her head and met Sanguine’s eyes. She looked forlorn and lonely, lost and sad.
“Oh, princess,” he whispered, petting her soft hair. “Don’t you see how I need you?”
“I need you, too, Sanguine,” she said. “You’re the only one who has ever seen me as more than a princess.”
“You would not be disgusted to be with a dragon?” He asked, touching her softly. Though he had bedded many women, most made it clear what they thought of a dragon shifter. Though Kaira had never said anything to make him think she was repulsed by him, he had to know now, before he made his decision.
“Please,” said Kaira, standing up. “Come with me.”
Sanguine nodded and took her hand. She led him down the hall and around the corner, where the hall opened up into a large space.
“Please shift for me,” Kaira requested, keeping her eyes firmly on his. Unlike the tiny bedroom, there was enough space here that Sanguine could shift easily. Unsure what to expect from Kaira, he nodded his agreement.
She watched as he slowly transformed from a ripped, attractive man into a large, gorgeous dragon. Though he was strikingly huge, Sanguine still watched her closely, his eyes batting. She walked around him slowly, tracing his scales with her hand. They were cold, but not uncomfortably so. She touched him softly, taking in every inch of him.
Though she had nothing to compare him to, Kaira thought that Sanguine must be one of the most beautiful dragons that had ever lived. He was gorgeous: every bit of him.
When she had made her way around him fully, she knelt before him again.
"Sir," she whispered. "Let me be yours."
Sanguine just watched her for a moment, offering herself to him once again. Then, before he could respond, Kaira crawled beneath him and found his huge dragon cock.
"Kaira, what are you doing?" He started to ask, wondering what she had in mind. There was no way he could fuck her in dragon form. It simply could not be done, but that didn't seem to be what Kaira wanted.
Instead, she began to do something no other woman ever had.
She licked his dragon dick slowly and quickly and every speed in between until he couldn't control it, couldn't stop it. He exploded with pleasure in front of her, dousing her with his juices.
When he had finished his release, Kaira returned to her spot in front of him. She was still completely nude, though now she was dripping with his cum.
"I need you," she said simply.
And her eyes flashed red.
30
When Kaira had finished cleaning up and dressing herself, she returned to Edward with Sanguine. The knight looked hopeful when he saw Kaira, but his eyes dropped at the sight of Sanguine.
This was it, he assumed. This was where his life ended. Edward had been brave for many years, fought many beasts, and killed many men. He had had his share of women and his share of loss. When he was younger, he imagined he would be killed during the midst of a great battle. He imagined he would die for his king.
He never thought he would die a caged creature at the hand of a tiny princess.
He closed his eyes as Kaira approached, not wanting to see how she was going to do it. Sword? Axe? Dagger to the eye? He didn't know. He didn't want to know. He just wanted to have it over with as quickly as possible so he could find the peace he so desperately needed.
But the end did not come.
Instead, Edward heard the sound of the cage being unlocked and the door swinging open.
"Come, my Knight," Kaira held out her hand to him. Edward opened his eyes and looked from Kaira to Sanguine and back again. What was this?
Sanguine gave him a curt nod, so Edward took her hand and climbed from the cage. He immediately knelt before them, not understanding exactly why, but knowing that he owed the two of them his very life. They were choosing to spare him. For what?
"Your grace," Edward murmured, bowing his head. He remained like that until he heard Kaira's quiet voice.
"Edward, stand up."
He did so.
"I need something from you,"
Kaira said to him. Edward cocked his head, waiting to hear what the princess demanded, wondering why she wasn't being held in a cage the way he had been. This was Sanguine, was it not? This was the great dragon, was it not? This was the monster the king had sent him to kill. This was the beast.
But somehow, seeing the way Sanguine looked at Kaira with the faintest hint of a smile, Edward thought there might be something that the king didn't know about. There might just be, thought Edward, the blossoming of a romance.
"Anything you desire," Edward said to Kaira. He meant it, too. Even if the princess was not meant to be with him, he couldn't quite stop feeling the hint of a thrill that she had somehow found love with Sanguine. She had found something, in any case.
"I need you to return to Naga," she said.
"Return?" He asked. "But why?"
"I need you to tell my father that I am dead," she said simply. "He cannot know I am staying with Sanguine."
"But, princess," Edward protested slightly. "He will not believe me."
"He will," Kaira said, stepping forward, "because you will make him believe you."
Somehow, as Edward looked from Sanguine to Kaira and back again, he doubted that he had much of a choice in the matter.
"Very well, princess," said Edward. "As you desire."
Kaira nodded her approval.
"Edward, no one can know," she told him. "Not even your mother." Edward thought it sweet and a little sad that Kaira remembered his old mother. He was gone so often that Kaira had taken it upon herself to visit the old woman in the village during his absences. Though he fought long, hard battles, he never worried because he knew that his mum was taken care of.
"If you do not tell him, if you do not convince him," Kaira continued, "he'll send more knights, Edward."
"I know."
"My place is here with Sanguine," she said again. "Not in the castle. I was never much good at being a princess," she smiled.
Edward nodded.